


origins

by afterreign



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Canon, DLC Route, Pre Release, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4286181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterreign/pseuds/afterreign
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She looks at the mark on her arm and can’t help but think she’s a little different from the other kids. “A certain princess once longed to have that mark, though she never did obtain it. I'm sure she'd be happy to know it appeared on you.” ― Ophelia-centric, with a dash of stars and constant shades of blue. Spoilers for Fire Emblem Fates.</p><p>(She sighs. <em>I think I'm getting sick of the color blue.<em>)</em></em></p>
            </blockquote>





	origins

**Author's Note:**

> -looks at the FE14 tag on Tumblr- -slowly backs away-
> 
> It's been a while since I've uploaded anything, so apologies! And apologies again because I thought this would be longer, but it turned out pretty short and rushed... Fire Emblem Fates is something I'll be getting when it comes out. All three routes... here I come! (can't wait to cry from this game)
> 
> Thanks to translated support conversations, we find out that Odin is Owain, Lazward is Inigo, and Selena is Severa! I was quite surprised and was deeply saddened when I found out that after the war, Owain and Inigo leave their wives and kids and return to the world of Awakening... I'm not too sure about Severa though, especially is she marries Xander and becomes Nohr's queen.
> 
> Before you start reading, please read [Ophelia and Soleil's supports](http://pastebin.com/sEeGrGc8), [Ophelia and Owain's supports](http://pastebin.com/EVfq5bD2), [Owain and Lucina's support](http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/114533-fire-emblem-fates-black-kingdom/72056821), and [Ophelia and Lissa's conversation](http://pastebin.com/ERWHErV0) in the Awakening DLC! Some of the dialogue in game is taken from there, but I did change a few lines, so there's that.
> 
> Also, please tell me if I made any mistakes! And be wary of OOCness! I tend to miss a lot of errors and would appreciate it if you pointed them out!
> 
> With that, please enjoy!

The first time Ophelia questions the mark on her arm is after a battle that’s not particularly memorable. Alone with Soleil (or who she used to call ‘demon’ because of the mercenary’s shameless skirt-chasing habits, but that’s for another story), the dark mage flips through her book until the older girl asks something that never really concerned Ophelia.

“Hey, Ophelia,” Soleil says, pointing to the other’s arm. “What’s that?”

Round eyes blink up at the mercenary and then to her arm. A moment passes until the dark mage replies. “… I don’t know.”

“Eh?” the mercenary voices her disappointment. “You don’t know where it came from?”

Ophelia closes her book of astrology and puts it on her lap. She shrugs. “Nope. It just showed up when I came to this army. Weird, right?”

Soleil scratches under her chin before replying, “Yeah, but isn’t that a bit boring? … Not knowing what it is, I mean.”

At the mercenary’s response, Ophelia looks back at the mark on her arm. It looked like some raindrop-shaped gem surrounded by some sort of crest, the red-haired girl first thinks, yet her mind wanders somewhere else.

_… Lady Azura's pendant._

She lets the thought linger in her mind before shaking it away. She knows it’s impossible, but the thought still interests her, so…

An idea pops up in the dark mage’s head and before she knows it, she’s already striking a cool pose. “Aha! This mark of legend and song… The Gods have chosen me, a poor maiden who had lost her way until now! I can feel its power coursing through my blood, faster than ever before. Destiny beckons!”

Reaching her hand out, Ophelia grins. “Will you join me on this life-or-death journey, Soleil of the Golden Suns?”

“It would be an honor, Ophelia the Crimson!” the mercenary laughs, grabbing for the outstretched hand. The cheer is back in her voice, and the two exchange wild smiles until they both go silent. Soleil pulls away before speaking again, her tone a bit more hesitant. “… But I do want to ask you something.”

“Hm?”

“Just… never change, got it?”

Ophelia smiles again, but something is wrong. The atmosphere is off, and the way her friend is talking right now makes her feel… _weird_. The Soleil she knows is full of smiles, ready to give them out like candy. That Soleil flirts with every girl she meets, Ophelia being no exception, as her charm shines through at any given moment. That Soleil shouts and screams and cackles until her sides are aching until the next morning. That Soleil isn’t… so quiet.

… But this one is.

“Got it!” Ophelia chirrups, trying to believe that everything is okay, but somewhere in the back of her mind tells her she won’t be able to keep that promise.

* * *

“A break from a tiring war is needed! Even the Chosen One must regain her strength through recreation―eek! W-what foul delivery is this?!”

With a jump, the dark mage jerks to one side and the other like she’s performing some convoluted dance. Her head has gone numb with coldness, and the air stinks of a wicked stench that could not be so easily ridden of. Ophelia can feel each fiber of her poor body wrenching from the terrible, oh so malicious… elixir stuck in her hair.

“Would you like to sample one of our newly improved elixirs?” The dark mage recalls what the merchant, Anna, offered her while she was looking through her shop. “No worries―it comes free with that tome you’re buying! A special deal, right? You see, my sister Anna is trying to get customers go to her own hot springs…”

… If only she knew the elixir was really only hair-dye. Even so, the name “Twilight Gloaming: Royal Edition” was too vexing! And having this item certainly matched the title ‘Ophelia the Twilight’ indeed. That merchant might have her weapons overpriced, but her naming skills were exceptional.

“Thank the Gods that Soleil isn’t here. She might have pounced me if she saw me with a new look,” Ophelia sighs, still rubbing in the elixir in her hair with sticky hands. “Okay, so Anna said if I give it a moment or two, my hair would turn into a different color…”

And it does. Not automatically, of course, but her hair starts to glow a soft azure light. She hurries to the hanging mirror in her room before holding in her breath as she sees the work of the elixir.

“The woman in the looking glass…” Marveling at her own reflection, a giggle bubbles in her throat. “She is me, and yet… I know her not!”

 _Blue_. It’s the first thing she thinks of as she runs a hand through her hair. It’s a brilliant shade of blue, almost too fancy-looking for Ophelia herself. Royal really _did_ fit the summary of what the elixir is. Yet she liked it. The color of twilight swallowed the entirety of her hair, and it felt right… and wrong?

Ophelia loves her natural hair color, she really does. It’s the same red as her mom’s, which makes it an even more wonderful shade of red. The dark mage stands out with that crimson hair of hers, and although that might not be the best when she’s on the battlefield, it makes her feel powerful― _braver_. Taking an enemy down, she knows the last thing they see is a blur of red striking them to the ground with a spell or two. Her natural hair is the blush of dawn; what bruised up heroes gaze at after a long earned battle.

But _this_ blue. It glows like her mother’s, yet it’s more gentle, more reassuring. Her hair now is the quiet night and the loud oceans mixed into one. The color could lull her to sleep, as if it was a serene lullaby… yet it's not. Like your eyes would glance at the shade of blue once, twice, and many more. She knows her hair is far from this color, but it just… fits.

_But why would it fit?_

The thought tickles the back of her mind, but she shakes it away.

“Bear witness to the legend reborn…” Ophelia murmurs as a distraction for herself before getting taken away as usual. Suddenly, her voice elevates to a shout. “My visage commands evil’s gaze like moonlight reflected on drawn steel! The grand epics of Ophelia the Crimson come to an end, and a new tale has unraveled! Today begins the great tellings of… Ophelia the Cerulean!”

A loud knock interrupts her, her mother’s voice muffled behind the door. “Ophelia, how’s your acting going?”

“M-mom!” the dark mage stutters, ear turning red as her original hair color. “I’m just starting a new tale in my journey for conquest!”

It’s faint, but she could still hear the quiet chuckles from her mom. “Alright, dear. Mind if I come in?”

“It’s fine!” she calls out, and yet when she sees the look on her mom’s face when the door swings opens, apparently it’s _not_ fine at all.

Ophelia whips around as the tray her mother was carrying drops to the floor, metal clanging painfully against polished stone. The cups are no exception, and the dark mage is suddenly seeing myriad of shards littering the floor. Accompanied by the broken cups is something steaming like tea, and Ophelia’s almost afraid that she betrayed her mother somehow. Her ears are ringing, and she’s sure her mother’s are too, but it doesn’t show on her face.

What does show on her face is shock―the kind where it’s too hard to speak, and all you can do is stare endlessly in the same directions for hours on end. But she catches the movement of her mother’s lips, mouthing out… ‘Lucius’?

It is at that moment when her hair starts glowing once more and reverts back into the same shade of red as her mom’s hair. Ophelia couldn’t have been more thankful.

Her mom snaps out of her shock when the dark mage’s hair is red again and immediately cringes when she sees the mess below her. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes, fingers pressing against her temples. “That color… It looked very familiar.”

“Mom…” The dark mage crossed the room to meet her mom. “I… I’m sorry if I offended you in some way.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong!” her mom says too quickly for her liking, shaking her head. “That shade of blue… You can say I know someone with that color of hair.”

“… Oh.”

Her mom gives her a smile, but it’s an uneasy one. “Now let’s clean this up!”

Ophelia follows her lead. Like mother, like daughter. “Alright!”

* * *

“Dad―”

“L-Lucina?!”

Whatever he yelps out, it’s enough to put the red-haired girl’s skipping to stop. The dark mage halts and sprints to a tree to hide behind. It’s probably the fastest Ophelia has ever moved in her whole entire life. And truth be told, she’s not exactly sure why she’s hiding, but the way her father’s tone was made her feel like she should.

“You! What are you doing here?!” She jumps and almost thinks that he’s yelling at her and that he’s absolutely _furious_. Heart hammering in her chest, she peeks from behind the tree and can feel the relief wash down her face as she finds out it wasn’t her he was talking to… but a swordsman?

 _Swordswoman_ would be more accurate, in fact. The woman in front of the blonde stands stiff, feet planted on the ground. She’s a bit younger than him, but she holds herself in such a mature manner that it’s hard to tell. Long, silky hair cascaded down her back, the color of her hair being the same familiar blue as the elixir Anna sold to the dark mage. The woman is almost _too_ beautiful to be a soldier, yet the way she carries herself and the sword at her side confirms that she can fight like the rest of them.

 _And the weird part about it all_ , Ophelia thinks to herself, mixed feelings stirring in her stomach, _is that that girl has the same aura of the Chosen Ones, too… Who is she?_

When the mysterious woman turns to face her dad, who looked more nervous than angry, the stoic expression of hers melts into a delighted smile. “Oh my… Owain, is that you?”

“Eh?” Ophelia squints at the female ahead. As her fingers press against the rough bark of the tree, she mumbles to herself, “But Dad’s name is Odin…”

“You came here, too!” At that, the woman runs up to ‘Owain’ and hugs him tightly only to let him go moments later. “I’m so happy to see you, Owain!”

“Uwah! L-Lucina!” her father protests, face on fire. Ophelia waits for him to deny he’s this Owain this woman speaks of but is sent for a spin when he embarrassingly shouts out, “Don’t call out my real name so loudly! You’re strange as always…”

Lucina tilts her head and blinks. “Is there something wrong…?”

“No…” He pauses before shaking his head. “You’re not the Lucina I know… Not the Lucina that fought with me…”

The woman chuckles. “What’s with you all of a sudden? Is this one of your acts again?”

He smiles, but his eyes are melancholic. “… Ah, that’s right. It’s fine with me if you think it’s an act.

“But for now,” the blond booms, his voice switching from sad to confident in an instant, “whoever you are, I’ll have you stop calling my real name! Listen up, over here! My name is the reborn warrior clad in darkness… ‘Jet Black Odin’!”

“That’s right, Owain!” Lucina beams, clapping her hands. “Have you learned more killer techniques? I haven’t seen them in a long time… Like your blue flame sword!”

He blushes. “H-hey! Listen to me until the end!”

Ophelia could eavesdrop more, but her mind is already whirling with questions. _Why did Dad lie about his name being Odin? Who was Lucina? Why did they already know each other? Was this the person whose name Mom mouthed? Why did she share the same aura like Dad and I?_

… She keeps those questions to herself.

* * *

When the dark mage bumps into Lucina one day, she quickly apologizes to the swordswoman before rushing off.

The red-haired girl doesn’t want to question the color of that woman’s hair nor the mark in her eye―the same mark branded on Ophelia’s arm.

* * *

“ _Ultimate Thunder’s Starlight!_ ”

The monster in front of Ophelia let out its last groan before disintegrating into an oozing mesh. She shivers; it’s disgusting, but it’s not the worst thing she faced.

Her father, mother, and Mister Lazward classified them as Risen, which are humans who are killed in battle reanimated into morbid beings, much like Faceless in the world they came from. The trio didn’t go into detail too much, but the way they carried themselves during the battle almost seemed pained yet lost. Coming here from the Outrealms felt like a bad idea, and the red-haired girl couldn’t help but wonder why.

Ophelia decides not to question it.

She does, however, question where they exactly are.

Gusts of wind blow through tall blades of green grass growing from patches of dirt. The air smelled practically pristine, and it wasn't hard to breathe here unlike in Nohr. A path made of grey stone leads to a wooden bridge arching over a river. This world almost reminds her of Hoshido, as it shares the same air of peacefulness, but there are no cherry blossom trees decorating the terrain nor are there leafless, twisted trees like in Nohr. Instead, trees with green leaves stand tall and definitely away from the action of the battlefield.

 _Still, it’s amazing how we can travel through the Outrealm Gate to go to different worlds…_ Ophelia thinks, lost in thought. Looking upon the battlefield, she spots Lord Kamui and what she discerned to be a tactician fighting side by side together. _And it’s even more amazing how two armies can join forces so easily! If a star of fate was born between the two, what a miracle would that be…_

“Ah, miss, look out!” a voice warns.

The dark mage turns around only to see a Risen ready to stab her with its sword, and there’s no way she’ll let that happen right now. Carefully dodging its swing, she flips through her yellow tome and extends her arm out to cast the spell. Ophelia cries out, forgetting to give her a spell a fancy name, “ _E-Elthunder!_ ”

A flash of golden light emits from her hand, and a lightning bolt shoots from out of nowhere and decimates the monster in front of her. She lets out a sigh of relief.  _That was a close one!_

“Hey, you there!” the same person who warned her moments ago calls out, tone etched with worry. “Are you hurt?”

Facing the other way, she sees a cleric rushing to her, staff in hand. “No, I’m just fine, but thank you for warning me. Dad did say I’m a bit of a dreamer,” the dark mage reassures the stranger. She’s probably from that group of people the combined Nohr-Hoshido Army is teaming up with. “And even if I may look delicate, a true maiden like myself would not show weakness so easily.”

The woman in front of her reminded Ophelia of the maids back at the kingdom. A dark brown vest was worn over the woman’s yellow dress, and an apron was tied over her hips in a fluffy bow. With a hairband much like Éponine and even the way her pigtails seemed to be styled, her image screamed out, "Maid!" but something else was telling Ophelia that she wasn't that at all…

Out of the blue, a strong wave of _something_ almost makes the dark mage topple over but is quick to steady herself, stomach lurching at the sudden feeling. Wait, could this be…? Is it the same aura as Dad’s and that blue-haired woman from the other day?

“Hey, wait!” Ophelia puts a hand on the cleric before she escapes.

She jumps. “W-what?”

“This is incredible!” the red-haired girl exclaims, waving her hands around for emphasis. “You’re emitting the aura of the Chosen Ones at full blast! It’s like, uh, ‘shing’! And then, ‘bang’! You get what I’m saying?”

“Like ‘shing’, and then ‘bang’?”

“Yep!”

The cleric keeps an even gaze with the dark mage before gripping her sides and  bursting out in laughter. “You’re a funny girl! I like the way you talk, miss!”

She gasps, and her eyes light up with excitement. “And you even understand what I’m saying! Wow, you’re becoming more astounding the more we talk! Is this, perhaps, the star of fate I’ve been waiting for…?”

Her eagerness is interrupted when a pain shoots up her arm. Switching focus, she sees a small cut near her elbow, her outfit slightly torn. Apparently, that Risen was able to graze her with its sword after all. She hisses, “This stings a bit, though… And now, I have to ask Mom to sew this hole in my outfit. She’ll probably scold me for being careless, though.”

“Should I heal that up for you?” the cleric frets.

“Thanks for worrying about me, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” the dark mage soothes before getting back into character. “And there’s no way I would admit defeat just yet. After all, I still have this weird mark that brands the Chosen!”

Ophelia poses once again, and the cleric cocks her head to the side. “A mark? Did you hit yourself or something?”

The red-haired girl begins to speak but halts when a wave of nausea hits her. She does a double-take, almost flustered by the sudden feeling.

_Why… Why does this feel like the time I was talking to Soleil? … I shouldn’t talk about my mark here, then._

Ears red, Ophelia shakes her head. “I-it’s nothing. Don’t worry about me. For some reason, I just feel like it would be a bad idea to reveal my mark here…”

The cleric gives her a skeptical look but doesn’t decide to push any further. “Well, good for you if there’s nothing wrong. But if anything hurts just let me know, got it?

“Oh, I’m such a dunce. I can’t believe I forgot to introduce myself!” the cleric exhales, her palm smacking her forehead. “I’m Lissa! And what’s your name?”

“I am Ophelia of the Twilight,” the dark mage says a bit too seriously.

“Ophelia, huh?” Lissa sounds out before grinning. “That’s a wonderful name!”

The red-haired girl’s face turns warm. “Oh, uh, thank you.”

Overjoyed, the cleric cheers, “Hmm, I think we’ll get along. Glad to be friends with you, Ophelia!”

“Friends…?”

“Yep, friends! Or maybe it’s too early to say that when we’ve just met?” Lissa asks, tone awkward.

“No, I’m glad too! … I get the feeling that you’re someone special,” Ophelia reassures, twiddling her fingers. “But, we’re still in combat. Talking too much might lead us to an unfavorable fate.”

“Oh, right! Sorry about that, Ophelia,” the blond apologizes. She grips her staff and offers the dark mage a wave. “See you later!”

Ophelia returns the cleric’s wave and watches her attend to an injured soldier. It’s not until moments later when she realizes she’s been staring far too long and quickly peels away her eyes. Talking to Lissa now wouldn’t be safe, her being busy with healing fallen soldiers and the dark mage being, well… what a dark mage is. In case of another Risen attacking her, she readies her spells.

“There are people like the Chosen in the Outrealms, too,” the red-haired girl says under her breath. “I hope we’ll get to know each other better if we ever meet again…”

It’s when she turns around because of a Risen moaning from behind is when she sees it―and no, she does not mean the spell she chants out, wiping down yet another monster. She does not give heed to the way the Risen disintegrates into black dust, it giving no signs that it was ever originally a human being, nor does she refer to her fellow comrades trying their hardest to fend off the rotten beast.

A man of royal blue hair, the same color as the elixir Anna gave her no less, slices a Risen in half with a familiar looking sword, and on his arm is…

She squeezes her own arm and holds her breath.

_… The Mark of the Chosen._

* * *

“I knew it was you.”

The sword, of course, doesn’t answer.

Curiosity is one of Ophelia’s toughest foes, and depressingly enough, today’s victor isn’t the dark mage. Casting a few complex incantations and with the assistance of Syalla, the dark mage finally obtained Lucina’s sword… which is an exact replica of the one the blue-haired lord from the Outrealms had. Maybe it even _is_ the same sword, but all the red-haired girl knows is that it’s special.

Her fingers caress the blade, as she admired the shining silver of the sword. Fingers glide down the strip of gold and slowly trace the teardrop-shaped hole. Sure, she’s not very familiar with swords and only touched them when she was moving equipment, but something about this one felt a little more special. A little more… hopeful.

Her hands falters as she reaches for the sword’s hilt. _Should I even try to use it? Even if I’m the Chosen One, tomes are usually my way of attacking…_

She frowns and sighs. _Backing down… would simply make for a boring tale._

With renewed vigor, she firmly grasps the sword and feels a little less restless. The grip isn’t particularly rough, but it’s not really smooth in her hands. She gives it a couple practice swings, arms erratically swaying, as she tests out the balance of the sword.

“It’s a bit heavy,” she starts, weighing the blade, “but it’s not so bad. Maybe I should ask Dad how to teach me the way of the sword.”

Before she’s able to pose with the sword and shout out crazy verses pertaining to her journey, a flash of red catches her eye, and she finds herself examining the sword again. Words inscribed in the crown-like pommel, she squints to get a close look.

“‘ _Sniamer llits erutuf eht tsol_ ’,” she reads aloud, pronunciation probably off, “‘ _tsol si esle lla nehw_ ’…? Is that foreign?”

 _It has to be important_ , her mind chants out. _Because you are the Chosen One. It's some message that'll aid you, I'm sure._

A sigh escapes her lips. It’s best not to question it. Or try to answer it, at the very least.

She also doesn’t answer why there is a log perfectly cut in half in the sword shed when her father and Lucina finally locate the dark blue-haired girl’s blade.

* * *

When she accidentally collides with yet another dark-blue haired person, this one being a man who goes by the name of Marth, he bows his head and apologizes. The red-haired girl mirrors him and says farewell after their little encounter, keeping her tone as polite and reserved as the other. Ophelia doesn't even need to think twice to know he's one of the Chosen as well.

She sighs.  _I think I'm getting sick of the color blue._

* * *

“Soleil.”

The mercenary gives her a grin. “Hey there! What’s up, Ophelia?”

“Why did you tell me that…?” the dark mage asks, ignoring the other’s question.

Soleil cocks her head. “Hm?”

“‘Just… never change, got it?’” Ophelia recites perfectly. "Why?"

The usually cheerful girl falls silent, twiddling her thumbs together. The dark mage isn’t too keen into accepting that as an answer.

“Why?” she pesters again, tone far more serious than before.

After a moment or two, Soleil admits defeat and gives in. “I-I… just feel like everyone is changing. Mom’s been too distant lately, and I always see her looking out to the water. She has the same solemn look on her face as she holds her pendant,” she rants, shaking her head. “And Dad… He isn’t any better. He’s always anxious and tells me things I can’t understand. He told me about Grandma and his original world, but I had to stop him midway. He was about to burst into tears …

“Hey, Ophelia?” Soleil continues, her smile less vibrant. “Look into my eyes.”

“I don’t think this is the time for jokes, Soleil,” the red-haired girl scolds, eyebrows furrowed.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” the mercenary protests. An idea goes off in that head of hers, and she’s suddenly smirking. “But we always could go for tea after this _scandalous, intimate―_ ”

With a deadpan look on the dark mage’s face, she slips out her Valflame tome from her cape and opens her mouth to say something before Soleil quickly interrupts.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I’ll get serious, I promise!” she apologizes frantically. A moment passes until the mercenary exhales a large amount of air and swipes away her thick bangs from her face, making her forehead visible. “Ophelia, look into my eyes.”

Her face turns beet red but scoots closer to Soleil with little to no protest. Moving her head closer to the other’s, she scans the mercenary’s eyes.

She has… surprisingly long eyelashes, Ophelia thinks, inspecting her friend’s face, still unsure of what she should be looking for. _Almond-shaped eyes, and they’re a nice shade of brown, too… W-wait, hold on. But that’s―_

“The mark!” she blurts out, finishing her train of thought.

“Yeah,” Soleil says in a sheepish tone, rubbing the back of her neck. She releases her bangs and let them fall back to cover her forehead. “Remember I asked where’d you get your own mark? It was because this,” she states, pointing to her right eye, “started appearing here. I had no idea where it came from, so I thought you knew. Guess not.”

Several minutes pass before Soleil speaks up again. “I’m sure this isn’t the star of fate you wanted so fondly. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Ophelia soothes, comforting her friend. “I think it’s even better. It’s more like… the sun of fate?”

The other girl blinks at her. “Sun?”

“Because Soleil, you’re like the golden sun to me. You’re my precious friend that I can’t live without.”

Much to Ophelia’s amusement, the mercenary immediately flushes red and automatically covers her face. “W-what?! Ophelia, that’s too much!”

The dark mage giggles. “Aha! Guess Soleil of the Golden Suns does have a weakness!”

Peeking through her hands, Soleil huffs out, “Ugh. S-so embarrassing…”

* * *

Her father tells her a lot of things.

He tells her the mark on her arm is called the Stigmata, or at the very least, that's the temporary name. He tells her it's not evidence of the Chosen but the proof of her lineage: The Mark Of the Royal Brand. He tells her he's just like her and has his own Stigmata, but it's hidden away. He tells her how the blood of great heroes pulsates through her veins, how there's a holy emperor who loves all, a malicious dragon reigning in the distant future, the ones who protected him and ended up dead at his feet―

She tells him he’s crying.

He tells her more; how much he loves her and if she will stay with him or not. He tells her he’ll show her his mark when he’s ready and promises they’ll be father and daughter no matter what.

“… You don’t need to understand right now,” he tells her through tears, patting her head. “But, one day, you'll surely come to have pride in that marking. A certain princess once longed to have that mark, though she never did obtain it. I'm sure she'd be happy to know it appeared on you.”

“Dad,” she speaks, confusion and sadness spilling from her throat, “do… do you have pride in your mark as well?”

He kisses her forehead, and she ignores his tears soaking her hair. Stretching out her arms, she pulls him into an embrace.

“Of course I do,” he murmurs. “Always will.”

* * *

“Ready to go yet?”

“Almost, Soleil!” Ophelia calls out, the feathered pen in her hands moving faster than before. “I’m almost done!”

“Sheesh, you’re taking forever,” the mercenary whines, setting her chin on the dark mage’s head. “You’re done packing, right?”

“Ignis and Foleo helped me with that,” the red-haired girl reassured. She adds in a worried tone, “... But I think Foleo might put in some handmade dresses for me. He’s still as sweet as ever. And did you tell Lady Azura…?”

“Of course I told Mom! … Or more like, Shigure is going to,” Soleil laughs nervously. “Surely, she’s too busy being Lord Kamui’s royal advisor, so I thought it would be better for him to tell her. She won’t start yelling if he does, so that’s the plan.”

“Honestly,” the dark mage says with a shake of head. As she continues writing, she asks, “Did you ever tell Shigure you’re going to find Mister Lazward?”

The mercenary stops resting her head on Ophelia’s and nods. “Yep! And how we’re going to find Mister Odin and Mistress Selena, too. But what a stupid brother! It’s like he doesn’t trust me if I went to the Outrealms by myself…”

“The Chosen One is just too trustworthy!” Ophelia triumphantly declares. “The war may be over, but Ophelia the Crimson will begin a new journey… I call this ‘The Journey of the Dark Origins’!”

“Fancy name,” Soleil comments. “And like always, Soleil will assist you!”

“Yep! … Oh, and now it’s done!” The dark mage sets aside her feathered pen and rubs her hand. “Ugh, it’s only one phrase, yet it was such a pain to translate.”

“Translate…?”

She shakes her head, a smile on her face, and tucks away the paper. “Never mind about that, but…”

“But?”

“Our tough journey awaits, my fellow comrade… The Gods have chosen us, two poor maidens who had lost their way until we’ve been shown the power of unconditional love and the strong bonds which will never break no matter what! The power of the bravest warriors flow through us, faster and stronger than ever before. Destiny beckons!”

Reaching her hand out, Ophelia grins. “Will you join me on this life-or-death journey, Soleil of the Golden Suns?”

“It would be an honor, Ophelia the Crimson!” the mercenary laughs, grabbing for the outstretched hand and squeezing it with all her might. “To the Outrealms!”

 

.

.

.

 

“ _When all is lost, the future still remains_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Time to summarize for the confused...
> 
> Here's the gist of it: Ophelia questions the mark on her arm, gets elixir that Anna is promoting for the Anna in the Hot-Spring Scramble DLC in Fire Emblem Awakening, wants to talk to Owain but finds him talking to Lucina, finds out Lucina has the Stigmata in her eye, is in the world of Awakening because of a mission & meets Lissa, finds out Lissa & Chrom are like her due to her aura and his mark, obtains the Falchion with the help of Syalla & uses it because Chrom had the same exact sword, bumps into Marth & becomes agitated when finding out he's one of the Chosen too, asks Soleil why the girl lover wants her to stay the same & Soleil explains everyone around her is changing, Soleil shows the mark in her eye, Ophelia has a serious conversation with Owain, the Awakening trio leave the world of Fates after the war is over with no word of goodbye, and Ophelia & Soleil decide to finally go to the Outrealms to look for them. As for what the two will do after they find their parents... that's for you to decide.
> 
> ... And now to explain some stuff!
> 
> \- _… Lady Azura's pendant._  
>  Okay, you can't deny the Mark of Naga doesn't look Azura's pendant. Is this important? ... Maybe. Maybe not.
> 
> \- Soleil of the Golden Suns  
> So in Owain and Inigo's supports in FE14, Owain refers to Inigo as Lazward/Azur of the Blue Skies, and I tried to think of an equivalent of that for Soleil. The only real nickname Ophelia gives to Soleil is 'demon' but assuming that Soleil eased down on her flirting, Ophelia would probably give Soleil a better name.
> 
> \- Twilight Gloaming: Royal Edition elixir  
> Twilight Gloaming was the hair-dye elixir Anna from the Hot-Spring Scramble DLC used on Owain, Inigo, Severa, and Lucina. This Anna remarks how already pretty Lucina's hair color is, and I have a headcanon that she makes an elixir to turn someone's hair the same color as Lucina and Chrom's. Of course, the Anna in Fates helps out this Anna because family reasons.
> 
> \- Ophelia's many nicknames for herself  
> So far, I've found three nicknames for Ophelia. Ophelia the Crimson comes from her supports with Ophelia, Ophelia the Twilight comes a totally different support which I forgot, and the Chosen One is the one she normally uses throughout the game. Ophelia the Twilight is only used once here because of that elixir.
> 
> \- The reason why Ophelia said the elixir's color fits her  
> Even though Owain's hair is blond and Ophelia's red (in this story, at least), I can't shake the feeling that the color blue would look incredibly fitting for anyone who has the blood of Naga in them, unless if they're a manakete. Weird, but I guess it's how I feel.
> 
> - _"Ultimate Thunder's Starlight"_  
> ... I tried making a really cool name. It didn't work. I simply made Ophelia forget to shout out another fancy name because they were so hard to make
> 
> \- Ophelia using the Falchion  
> In game, Ophelia can actually use a sword as her class set offers the Dark Knight class, so there's that. Also, those descending from Ylissean royalty possess the potential to wield the Falchion, but the spirits inhabiting the blade are selective about whom they deem worthy. Those who are unworthy find the blade's dull and aren't able to do simple tasks, like cut logs in half. Because Ophelia was able to cut it though, she's been accepted by the blade. So, in a way, she really is the Chosen One.
> 
> \- Azura is Soleil's mother in this fic  
> Azura and Lazward had really nice supports with each other, and they match pretty well. One's a dancer, and the other is a dancer and a singer. Shigure inherits Azura's singing, but both of the parents' talents are lost on poor Soleil. At the very least, she's popular with the ladies?
> 
> \- Chrom!Inigo  
> Just wanted to do it for the sake of the story. In all reality, thanks to knowing his base class set in Fates, his father is Vaike, Kellam, Lon'qu, or Gaius, if we're assuming Thief in FE13 = Ninja in FE14. My best bet is it's Lon'qu or Gaius.
> 
> \- “Because Soleil, you’re like the golden sun to me."  
> Soleil means sun. In a way, Ophelia was trying to tell a pun in a really sweet way. What a cutie.
> 
> - _“When all is lost, the future still remains.”_  
>  Throughout the whole story, Ophelia has no idea what's happening. All of the events that happen to her are about her heritage, which makes her realize she has no idea where her parents came from and what is the Stigmata. At the end, she's finally able to translate the message on the Falchion and starts ahead on her own future. ... It's a bit confusing.
> 
> Now I'm done! Thank you so much for reading, and please tell me if I have any mistakes in my writing. With that, have a good day and stay wonderful! <3


End file.
